• New kit named after England goalie Mary Earps to celebrate team’s progress to World Cup final
• Earps joins siblings Russo, Toone and Rashford to help ‘save’ nature and to form a ‘team’ of eco-engineers at the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate on the edge of Exmoor
• Twins at a second site named Moss and Fern, carrying on the botanic theme of parents Lily and Bulrush

 
Three new beaver kits have been named following a social media poll on National Trust channels, asking followers to suggest ideas, with over three-hundred names put forward.
 
‘Earps’ has become the sixth member of the family born at one enclosure known as ‘Paddocks’ on the Holnicote Estate in Somerset this spring, with a pair of twins – now named ‘Moss’ and ‘Fern’ born at ‘Whitemans,’ a second enclosure nearby.
 
All three baby beavers were named after the public were invited to help name the kits, with the final decision made by the ranger team on the Estate. 
 
The single kit is the younger sibling to Rashford, the first beaver born on Exmoor for 400 years, who was named after Manchester United player Marcus Rashford in 2021. He was followed by twins Russo and Toone last summer. 
 
Rashford has been spotted teaching his latest sibling, Earps, the important beaver skills needed to join the family tradition of being ‘eco-engineers’; making positive changes to the area through building dams and creating new pools to attract wildlife.
 
The twins, born to first time parents Lily and Bulrush, are also doing well. 
 
National Trust followers suggested over three hundred names, with witty ideas including Barbie and Ken for the twins, Scone, Jam and Cream for the trio as well as Biff, Chip, Kipper (for parents of young children), Holni, Nico and Cote (as in Holnicote where the kits were born) and Broady, Jimmy and Woaksey to mark the heroic endeavours of England’s men’s cricket team against Australia in the Ashes series.  And, of course, as seems to be social media tradition, many users suggested, Beaver McBeaverface.
 
Jack Siviter, National Trust Ranger at Holnicote said: “We decided to continue with the sporting theme for the Paddocks family due to the success of the Women’s football team in reaching the World Cup final, and at our second site liked the nature themes coming through as a fitting tribute to the flora and fauna that the beaver live and work amongst. We are particularly pleased for first time parents, Lily and Bulrush, and it’s great to see their new kits thriving.”
 
Beavers are described as ecosystem engineers due to their ability to change the landscape around them as they make the family lodge and nearby dams, which then creates ponds and channels. These filter and slow down the flow of water, and the felling of trees in the surrounding areas encourage ground flora such as marsh marigold to bloom.
 
Jack continued, “Over the next few months, we’ll be able to track the development of the youngsters and how they start to help us with our conservation work, in particular building more resilience into our landscapes to help mitigate the consequences of extreme weather.”
 
Anyone wishing to find out more about where the beavers live, can explore the site virtually by visiting www.nationaltrust.org.uk/virtual-beaver-tour